Winnie’s Contradictions Are Mirrored in South Africa’s Soul: Heroine and Villain

With the death yesterday of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela at the age of 81, the reactions in South Africa were divided. Some praised a woman who kept Nelson Mandela’s name alive and sacrificed so much of her life for her country – even the opposition called her a “true freedom fighter and an iconic South African” (in the words of DA Leader Mmusi Maimane).